258 CRUISE OF THE BARRERA 



ishment, beds, horses, and a guide, at which an- 

 nouncement we could have shouted for joy and 

 embraced our sphinx-Hke host. After all our 

 doubts and misgivings this, then, was really the 

 *'town" of La Mulata, the gate to Guajaibon, 

 and the way was open. From the tienda the 

 mountain looked not two miles away, magnificent 

 in its precipitous northern face and great height. 

 We were for leaving our equipment and making a 

 dash directly for it, but the man of the tienda ad- 

 vised patience and horses. To our distress we 

 had to wait. A man would arrive later, he said, 

 who would look after the details and it might be 

 better to wait for him. 



Within the tienda was an unfloored room, hung 

 about with sheaves of fodder, onions, garlic, corn, 

 and sundry leather articles connected with har- 

 nesses and saddles. At one side was a counter, 

 behind which were some shelves bare of any stock 

 in trade. Upon the counter were a pair of scales, 

 a pile of wrapping paper, and some cord of vege- 

 table fiber for securing packages, all of which 

 seemed needless, when there was no one to buy 

 and nothing to sell. In the ceiling were festoons of 

 webs among which lurked large hairy spiders, and 



